Enzo in Argentina

Participant

Ezno

Programme

Internship

Country

🇦🇷 Argentina

Duration

20 weeks

Short bio

Hey, my name is Enzo and I’m 22 years old.
I study Sport Studies at Inholland University of Applied Sciences in Haarlem, and for that I did a 20-week internship in Buenos Aires (Argentina). In my free time I enjoy playing football, go-karting and trying out new activities with friends. I’m also a big fan of travelling.

How satisfied were you with the support from Holland?

The support from Holland was great. Before my trip I got good help with my preparation. If there was anything I couldn’t get help with on location in Argentina, Ruben was easy to reach.

My story

“What I really loved was the bond you build with the children when you go to the same projects every week.”

Ezno · internship in Argentina

From early February to the end of June I did an internship with The Power of Sports in Argentina. Beforehand it was a completely new experience and I didn’t know how I would find it, but once I arrived in Buenos Aires, it felt like home within a few days.

In Buenos Aires I stayed in a hostel (Art Factory) with (almost) all the other volunteers. It was my first experience of living in a hostel and it was great fun. You shared a room with 1 to 3 other volunteers, and if you needed some time to yourself, for example to call family or work on a project, there was always a way to do that. The hostel is also in a nice location with lots of parks, little restaurants and cafés nearby. It’s also close to the nightlife areas (usually 20-30 minutes away).

In Buenos Aires I did several different projects. These included activities such as football, hockey, tennis and volleyball. What I really loved was the bond you build with the children when you go to the same projects every week. The children are happy to see you, take an active part in the different sports, and even if your Spanish isn’t that good, they try to have fun little chats with you in Spanish. At every location there’s always a local supervisor present who supports you well.

Besides the projects, you also have lots of free time to explore the city. For example, I enjoyed going to the horse races (entry is free), I went to lots of football matches (Racing Club > Boca&River, although the atmosphere at Boca Juniors is unbeatable), we went out every week with groups of volunteers, we hired nice 5-a-side pitches to play football with all the volunteers, and there’s the chance to go on great trips. For example, I went to Iguazu (both the Argentinian and Brazilian sides, plus a day in Paraguay), Mendoza and Colonia (Uruguay).

It was a really great experience in which I made lots of new friends, and I wouldn’t have wanted to miss it.

What advice would you like to give future interns and volunteers?

If you’re unsure whether to do an internship abroad, I’d say: do it!
It’s a really educational experience, on a personal level too, and on top of that it’s great fun.